Homemade Whole Cranberry Sauce

Nothing like homemade cranberry sauce - its so easy to make!

Ingredients
1 12oz package fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice

Rinse and drain cranberries, set aside.  Bring sugar, water, and orange juice to a boil, then add cranberries and cover.  Bring back to boil, then lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes.  Cranberry sauce will be liquidy - place in tupperware container and chill for a few hours so it will set and be ready for dinner.

Creamed Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta

Inspired by a recipe in the cookbook "Two Dudes One Pan" - this was amazing!  Even Ryan enjoyed it and he hates Brussel Sprouts.

Ingredients
2 lb Brussel Sprouts, bottom rough part cut off and outer leaves removed
8 oz pancetta, diced
2 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Bring a pot of water to boil, add brussels to pot and simmer for 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.  Transfer to cutting board and cut in half lengthwise.  Set aside.

In a nonstick skillet, saute pancetta until extra crispy.  Drain on paper towel lined plan, reserving 1 tbsp of fat.  Add shallots and garlic to skillet, saute until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Ad cream and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Stir in Brussel Sprouts and pancetta and gently coat in sauce.  The sauce should have thickened a bit, but will still be liquid.  Serve with slotted spoon.

Rutabaga and Turnip Gratin

This was an easy and delicious dish - it reheats well so you can make well before dinner and then reheat for about 15 minutes at 400.  From Miller Union restaurant in Atlanta.

Serves 6

1 medium rutabaga (about 3/4 lb), peeled and sliced thin
1 medium purple turnip (about 3/4 lb), peeled and sliced thin
2 tbsp unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
2 tsp fresh thyme
2 cups homemade bread crumbs, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 cup chicken or veggie broth
1 cup heavy cream

Pre-heat oven to 450

Arrange thin layer of rutabagas in greased 8x8 dish (or equivalent).  Sprinkle layer with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and a little bit of thyme, then dot with tiny butter cubes.  Top with thin layer of turnips, season in the same manner and dot with butter cubes.  Repeat until turnips and rutabagas are gone.  Top with breadcrumbs and then pour broth and cream over breadcrumbs.  Press down on crumbs lightly to absorb the liquids.

Bake for 35 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden brown, and veggies are tender (test with small paring knife).  Allow to rest for 20 minutes before serving.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Another Turkey Day Favorite

Serves 12

6 medium sweet potatoes
6 slices of bacon, crisp and crumbled (potentially reserved from Peggy's Cornbread)
2 tbsp brown sugar
6 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sliced scallions (dark green part only)
3 tbsp whole milk
2 oz Gruyere, grated
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375.   Bake potatoes for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and increase heat to 400.

Once the potatoes are cool, slice in half and scoop out meat into a large bowl.  Reserve potato skins on a baking sheet.

Combine potato meat with remaining ingredients until mixed but not entirely smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and fill potato skins with mixture evenly.  Place back in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Garnish with left over bacon crumbles if desired.

Mushroom and Barley Casserole

This is one of my favorite dishes I've tried in the last month.  I adapted this from 101 Cookbooks (which is one of my most favorite food blogs) and its just delicious.  I love how the barley and mushrooms create something so rich but healthy as well!

Serves 4

1/2 cup pearl barley (I love barley, but if you don't have it in your pantry sub brown rice)
1 1/2 cups water
1 veggie bouillon cube (optional)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
6oz mushrooms (your favorite kind will do - I used baby bellas), chopped
1/2 large onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme - whatever you like best)
4 oz low fat cottage cheese
4 oz low fat sour cream
1 egg
2 oz fresh grated parmesan
Kosher salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350

Boil the water, barley and bouillon in a large pot uncovered.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. 

In the meantime, heat butter and olive oil in a saute pan.  Once butter has melted add mushrooms and saute until soft and golden brown and season with a bit of salt.  Add onion and garlic, season with a bit more salt and saute until soft.  Turn off heat and stir in barley.

In a large bowl, combine basil, egg, cottage cheese and sour cream.  Once combined, mix in barley mixture.  Pour cheese and barley mixture into an 8x8 dish, and sprinkle evenly with parmesan and fresh cracked pepper.

Bake uncovered for 30 - 45 minutes until cheese on top is well browned.  Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with additional parmesan as desired.

Enjoy!

Spiced Grilled Corn Salad

This was an amazing dish - we served it topped with grilled scallops and with a green salad topped with my Basil Garlic Buttermilk Dressing.  This would be a delish side for barbecue pork, or even Norman's Bomb-A** Shrimp!

Serves 4 as a side dish

1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp red onion, small diced
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 large ears of corn, husked
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton)
3/4 cup cojita cheese or queso fresco, crumbled
2 tbsp cilantro, coarsely chopped

Grill corn according to instructions in my Grilled Corn recipe.  Once the corn is grilled, cut kernels from cob into a large bowl and set aside.

Mix first garlic, onion, and lime juice in a small bowl and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.  Whisk mayo, pepper, and paprika in a seperate bowl, and add to lime juice mix once its finished marinating.  Combine thoroughly and add to grilled corn.  Mix in cheese and cilantro, and serve.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Simple but I had trouble finding out how to do it the right way the first time so wanted to publish it here just in case!

Corn on the cob - husks removed - enough for 1-2 per person

Pre-heat grill to medium heat and place corn cobs on the grill.  Cover and grill turning once for 15 minutes.  Serve with lots of butter and salt!

Another hint - corn on the cob is very delicate so you should cook it the first day you buy it from the store.  If for some reason you can't - store it in a damp paper bag in your fridge until you are ready to use but no more than 3 days.

Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Feta

A great summer side dish but good for only one serving - everything gets a little mushy second day.

Serves 6

4 cups 1 1/4-inch chunks seedless watermelon (about 1/2 of a small seedless watermelon)
1 lb ripe tomatoes large diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Fresh arugula leaves - washed
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Combine melon and tomatoes in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and toss to blend; let stand 15 minutes. Add oil, vinegar, and herbs to melon mixture. Season to taste with pepper and more salt, if desired. 

Divide arugula among plates. Top with melon salad; sprinkle with feta cheese and toasted almonds and serve.

Southwest Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad lasts about 3 days in the fridge and tastes great over a bed of lettuce - makes for a great left-overs lunch. Serve alongside the Chipotle Shrimp with 1/2 an avocado for a complete meal.

Serves 2

1 can black beans - rinsed
1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/2 chipotle in adobo, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and simmer the quinoa over low heat until the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Allow to sit for an additional 5 minutes, then put in a small mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice and chipotle. Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking until blended. Add the black beans, quinoa, scallions, red onion, bell pepper and cilantro. Season with salt, toss to combine and serve.

Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta

Perfect with the Red Snapper Puttanesca.  The biggest thing to remember for a nice creamy polenta is that it needs to be constantly stirred with a whisk.  The whisk will work through the lumps better than a spoon. 

Serves 6

1 quart whole milk

Kosher salt
1 cup instant polenta (I use Colavita brand)
1/2 lb. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Pinch cayenne
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring the milk to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Season with 2 tsp. salt. Slowly whisk in the polenta and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until the polenta thickens and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Add the goat cheese and cayenne. Whisk until well combined. Whisk in the cream and 1/2 to 1 cup water to thin the polenta to a porridge-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.